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Session 11. 1912 NK W ZEALAND

TAUPO TOTARA TIMBER COMPANY COMMITTEE (REPORT OF); TOGETHER WITH MINUTES OF EVIDENCE AND APPENDIX.

Report brought up 16th October and, ordered to be printed.

ORDER OF REFERENCE.

Extract from the Journals of the House of Representatives. Tuesday, the 20th Day or August, 1912. Ordered, " That Standing Order No. 219 be suspended, and that a special Committee, consisting of twelve members, be appointed to inquire into the petition of the Taupo Totara Timber Company for railway-extension and any other matter in connection therewith; such Committee to have power to call for persons and papers ; three to be a quorum : the Committee to consist of Mr. Anderson, Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Buick, Mr. Dickie, Mr. Hindmarsh, Mr. Laurenson , Mr. MacDonald, Hon. Mr. Ngata, Hon. Dr. Pomare, f Mr. Wilson, Mr. Young, and the mover." —(Hon. Mr. Fraser.)

REPOET.

The Taupo Totara Petition Committee, to whom the petition in question was referred, have the honour to report as follows: — 1. That in their petition the company set out that they have a railway fifty miles long extending from Putaruru to Mokai, which they are running under an Order in Council dated 29th January, 1908, under the Tramway Act, 1894, and which they wish to extend for another twenty miles to connect with the Town of Taupo, at an estimated cost of £50,000. 2. The company proposes — (a.) That the Government should make a conditional contract for the purchase of the completed tramway to Taupo at its value, not exceeding the bare cost of construction, and should pay the purchase-money in instalments arising from the sale of the present unoccupied Crown lands and such Native lands as the Crown should acquire at present values; Or (b.) That, in consideration of the petitioning company extending their present line to Taupo, the Government should by legislation authorize the petitioners to purchase by private contract an area of Native land not exceeding 200,000 acres, on condition that such area is subdivided and sold in areas not exceeding those prescribed by the Native Land Act, 1909. (c.) That if the first of the last-mentioned alternatives were adopted by the Government the petitioners would enter into a valid undertaking, properly supported by security to the satisfaction of the Government, to refund any purchase-money paid to the petitioning company for the said tramway-line should the Government, at the end of fifteen years, decide not to affirm and carry out the purchase of the line on the terms above mentioned.

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